Figure toy



L. MARX FIGURE TOY July 8 Filed Dec. 19. 1923 INVENTOR J 0 0/5 Mfl/ZX Patented July 8, 1924-.

LOUIS; MARX OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

7 re-nan TOY.

Applficatifln filed ne e ber 19, 1923. Serial No. 681,611.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LOUIS Manx, a citizen of the United States; and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Figure Toys, of which the following is a specification. Y i it i This invention relates to a figure toy, and more particularly to mechanically operated figuretoy made in representation of a fowl such as a chicken or goose; and has pe ial f e ce o t e Pr v on of a oy fowl adaptedt-o be set into operation for simulating a food seeking or consuming activity.

A principal object of my present invention comprehends the provision of a hoechanic allyoperated toy" fowl constructed and designed so that when energized the' bed? of the fowl W111 be moved to and from the ground or like support in life-like resemblance to the food pecking mien of the fowl.

A further principal object of the present invention inclu des the provision of a toy of this character which is designed and constructed so that when operated the food pecking action of the-toy combined With a propulsion of the toy al ong'a support so as to enhance the effect andmore closely simulate the naturalbehaviour of the fowl when seeking or consuming. food;

T0 he 1 c omp shmen o the .tq esin and s c oth obj as. ay ereinaf er appear my" invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being bad to the accompzmying' drawings which show a preferred embodiment ofmy invention and i'n which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the figure toy of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal crQSS-sec- .tional View thereof showing the different positions of thetoy when in action, and 3 is a View taken in cross-section on the line 3. 3, Fig. 2. 7

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the toy fowl comprises body member 10 mounted for oscillating movement on the plurality of leg. members 11 and 12 and amotor mechanism generally designated as .13 for mechanically operating the toy for effecting the oscillation of the body between a substantially horizontal or normal body position, as shown in full lines 111 Fig. 2, to a downwardly inclined or food pecking position as shown in dotted lines in said figure, and for effecting the simultaneous propulsion of the toy flongthe ground or other support such as 14.

The body 10 may for convenience of construction comprise the body members 10' and 10 shaped and designed so as to represent a species of fowl such as a chicken or goosd, the body members being preferably formed of sheet metal concave'd to produce the hollow body shown in the drawings, the said body members being joined or secured together in any approved manner.

For oscillatably mounting the body on the leg members, the body is provided with the bottom plate 15 to which it is secured by means of tongue elements (not shown) integrally formed with the body members received by the spaced slots 16; 16 in the plate 15, the plate being provided with the upturned members 17, 17 forming spaced bearings for a rod 18. To the opposite ends of the rod 1.8 are fizgedly attached the leg members 11 and 12, each of which includes an elongated foot portion 19 adapted to properly support the toy upon the ground.

For efi'ecting the food pecking action of the toy and for simultaneously propelling the same along the ground, I provide the motor mechanism 13 heretofore referred to carried by the body and connected to the leg members constructed so that when set into operation the body 10 will be moved between the positions indicated in Fig 2 and in the preferred construction the motor mechanism 13 is such that the body is moved downwardly with a relatively slowmotion and is returned upwardly with a quick and resilient motion with the action such as to produc a forward hopping and propelling movement of the toy.

The motor mechanism 13 more specifically comprises a torsion spring 20, the outer'end of which is anchored to an inverted U- shaped support 21 fixed to the plate 15, the inner end of said spring being attached to a winding shaft 22 journaled in the plate 15 and support 21 and provided with a winding key 23. Fixed to the shaft 22 there is provided the ratchet member 24 7 havin the spaced ratchet teeth 25 adapted to 1'1 cover and engage orifices 26 in a gear 27, the said gear being loose on the shaft 22 and being arranged to mesh with a pinion 28 fixed to a shaft 29 which is also journaled in the plate and the support 21. The pinion shaft 29 carries a crankarm 30 to which is connected one end of a link element 31, the other end of the link element being connected to a rod 32 fixed at opposite ends to upwardly extending arms 33 and 34 which are preferably formed integrally with the leg members 11 and 12 respectively. With this construction it will be evident that when the spring is energized, energy may be transmitted from the gear 27 to the leg members to effect the to and fro rocking motion of the body relatively to the leg members.

For producing the desired activity, there is also provided the resistant element 35 in the form .of a tension spring connected at one end, as at 36, to the rod 32 and connected at its other end, as at 37, to a finger 38 which may be formed integrally with the support 21. This resistant member functions to oppose the movement of the link member 31 during the movement of the body 10 from its normal to the down wardly inclined position and to aid the re turn movement thereof. :is will be seen from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, when the toy is placed on the ground or other supportlet, the body of the toy under the influence of gravity and the action of the torsion spring 20 will move downwardly in opposition tothe resistant spring. 35, this producing a relatively slow downward movement of the body. The parts are so proportioned that when the beak of the fowl contacts with or is adjacent to the support 14: as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the link element 31 and the'crank arm are in alinement;

and it will be evident that as'the crank arm 30 passes the dead center position, the resistant element will change from opposing to aiding the motorspring 20, the combined actions of these spring parts being such that the body 10 is returned to its normal body position with what may be "described as a quick jerk 0r snap, produca hopping and energetic propulsion of the gtoy along the sup-port.

The use and operation of my figure toy will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. 7 It will be further apparent that numerous changes may be made in the operating mechanism of the toy, as well as in the shape and appearance of the same; and other operating and propelling mechanisms may be employed for producing the desired action, the essence rofhtheinvention residing in the provision of the toy fowl characterized by its being mechanically moved in striking simulation of a pecking food seeking or food consuming activity.

I claim:

1. A toy fowl comprising a body member formed in representation of a fowl, a

plurality of leg members, the said body member being mounted on the leg members for oscillating movement thereon between a substantially horizontal or normal body position and a downwardly inclined position with the beak of the fowladjacent a support such as the ground on which the toy is placed, and mechanism carried by the body member and connected to the leg members for oscillatingv the body member relatively to the leg members in simulation of an eating or pecking action. 7

2. A toy fowl comprising abody' member formed in representation of, a .fowl, a

plurality of leg members, the said body member being mounted on the leg members for oscillating movement thereon between a substantially horizontal or normal body position and a downwardly inclined posi- 'tion with the beak ofthe fowl adjacent a support such as the ground on which the toy is placed, and mechanism carried by the body member and connected tothe leg members for effecting the oscillation of the body member with a relatively slowdownward motion and a relatively quick upward return mot-ion whereby the toy is propelled along the support and is moved in simulation' of an eating or pecking action.

3. A toy fowl comprising a body member formed in representation of a fowl, a pair of leg members, the said body member being mounted on the leg members for 0s cillating movement thereon between a substantially horizontal or normal body position and a downwardly inclined position with the beak of the fowl adjacent a support such as the ground on which the toy moved in simulation of an eating or peck-.

' i i J 126 ing action. 7

7 4. A toy'fowl comprising a body member formed in representation of a fowl, a plurality of leg members having elongated foot portions for supporting the body member.

for propulsion along a support such as the ground, the said body member being mounted for oscillation on the leg members between substantially horizontal and downwardly inclined positions, these positions corresponding respectively to the normal body position and with the food peeking position of the fowl, a spring motor mechanism carried by and housed within the body member, a link element connecting the motor mechanism with the leg members for producing the oscillating movement of the body on operation of the motor mechanism, and a resistant element connecting the motor mechanism with the leg membersoperative so as to oppose the gravitational movement of the body member when the toy is placed upon a support to produce a relatively slow downward motion of the body and operative to aid the spring motor mechanism to produce a quick upward return movement of the body whereby the toy is propelled along the support when operated and is moved in simulation of an eating or pecking action.

Si ed at New York city, in the county of N egv York and State of New York, this 18th day of December, A. D. 1923.

LOUIS MARX. 

